Brownback administration lays off 85 Kansas Dept. of Labor employees

Dept. of Labor says layoffs are ‘fiscal necessity’

Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration on Friday laid off 85 state employees at the Kansas Department of Labor.

A statement released by KDOL states: “Fiscal necessity requires that KDOL make the very difficult decision to reduce its workforce. Decisions by the prior administration to utilize one-time funds for ongoing personnel and administrative costs and reduced funding from the federal government have contributed to the need for this decision.”

With the layoffs, the agency, which among other jobs administers unemployment compensation, would have about 430 employees, said KDOL spokesman Matt Manda.

Sherriene Jones-Sontag, a spokeswoman for Brownback, said state employee layoffs also were the result of Cabinet secretaries working on efficiencies, and responding to budget cuts.

“Secretaries have been looking, for five months, at how agencies are structured, to make agencies more efficient and responsive, and now they are beginning to implement those plans,” she said.

KDOL is led by Secretary Karin Brownlee, a Republican appointed by Brownback who took office in January.

Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka said he was not convinced that layoffs were necessary.

“For a governor that is advocating the creation of jobs, to me it seems contrary to that goal is to be laying off people,” Hensley said. “Previous administrations have been successful in preventing layoffs.”

During the just completed legislative session, Brownlee had sought legislation that would have made all employees at the Labor Department unclassified workers who would serve at the pleasure of the secretary and not have Civil Service protections. Legislators, however, didn’t approve the measure.

Since Brownback took office in January, there has also been a large number of terminations at the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, although many of those employees have been replaced with new hires. SRS has declined repeated requests to say how many have been laid off and how many have been hired.

Those aren't "new" jobs within SRS. Brownback's hacks simply replaced existing hacks. Those jobs were all sweet, unclassified, patronage jobs. The fact people held them so long is because heretofor, SRS (the largest State agency or some such) was something of a sacred cow in that the elected hacks didn't want to muck around with the mess they knew they'd make.

The fact Brownback replaced them is just bizness as usual in this dumbed down state.

Again, thems weren't/aren't NEW jobs......the people who had been in them were....ummmm....shall we say "relieved of their command.". Oh, and by the way....you know how many people that group of hacks had terminated during their reigns of terror and mediocrity? Answer: PLENTY.....

False statement. There are new jobs and those who were replaced were making lower salaries.

In addition, those who were replaced were Kansans with no ties to the administration. Contrast that with loading the entire staff with individuals who will quit their jobs and return to their home states as soon as Brownback is no longer Governor.

That is also incredibly dangerous for an agency, particularly an agency like SRS that serves the same populations sometimes for decades.

Tanya Keyes had been Children and Family Services - Director and she was given $77,325.04 in 2010. She has been replaced by Grade D hack: Gina Meier-Hummel. Find out what she is getting paid.

Oh....here's a third one: The Regional Director for the KC Metro Region (who, by the way was the higest paid Regional Director within SRS, despite the fact she was also the newest), one Lori Alvarado was given $80,294.50 for 2010. She has been replaced with Republican card carrier Phyllis Gilmore. Find out how much she is being given.

I think you best consult with Mr. Moose because you're barking up the wrong tree.....

If it's past 5PM on Friday, then it's Pink slips for Kansans!!! Labor kicking labor out the door! Clearly the kind of middle class employees that we can't tolerate in Topeka, Wichita or anywhere else ..The word SHAME doesn't even come close to decribing this debacle..

I was going to say 85 more people that we will be paying unemployment to, but upon reading further, I realize these are the people who administer unemployment benefits---so who will be there to process the applications?

Let'em eat cake!

(Just when I think I can't despise Brownback and his dictatorial, crush the middle class into proverty ways anymore, I find that I can.)

In trying to get information about my UI claims last year, it took 105 tries to get through to anyone on the phone. 105. I am not exaggerating nor kidding. The staff was already severely overworked and one woman I talked to told me it was physically and emotionally draining as they sat all day and heard about people's entire lives going down the tubes.

Yea, he'll balance this budget alright, on the backs of now unemployed Kansans. Can't wait for the job numbers to come out as his grade card. Guess with all those illegal aliens Kobach wants to keep out those folks can all go out and work the fields by hands in western Kansans and replace them. That's the spirit, Gov! Keep that corporate welfare flowing to the oil and gas companies though. They're LOVING it.

Yes, because it would be outrageous if some of these people actually had to go find hardworking jobs in order to support themselves and their families without relying on an unemployment check from the state.

I'm also curious to know what field work is done by hand in western Kansas?

Hypothetically speaking, if the majority of the SRS and Labor employees(as well as perhaps any others we don't yet know about) who've been fired happen to belong to one political party, would this be legal?

Deec,
Unfortunately politics is a spoils system of sorts. Big city machines, usually democrat, hire cronies and fire bureaucrats hired by the opposition from the opposite party, when they were in power if they ever were. I'm sure some of that is going on here, how much I don't know. This is not new to Brownback I'm sure previous democrat regime did the same thing.
The difference is we are in a true economic crises nationwide and States must cut back as tax revenues are down cause business and commerce are down. We are still in a recession and it is about to be a double dip or worse. Even the New York fat cats on Wall street- bankers, stock brokers, investment arbitrage corps, are about to send out tons of pink slips according to WSJ and New York Times.
Gkerr

Except it sounds like at least some of these firees were not highly placed admin. sorts, but rather ordinary low level folks who'd held their jobs through one or more transitions in the past. Just because other administrations have done it, doesn't make it right. I was taught that as a small child. In addition, the fiscal crisis the world is experiencing was artificially created by Wall Street and the banking industry with the full consent of governments that cut their revenues and increased their spending simultaneously under the pretext that somehow less income means more income.

I guess things like this are not supposed to happen since these were government jobs and government paychecks come from the taxpayer's hard earned dollars. Job layoffs are only supposed to happen in the private sector.

The State of Kansas is broke! We have no money! We can't afford to pay workers, we can't afford the arts, we can't afford to properly school the children, but we have money to burn on an unneeded new STATE LOGO! Yeah! Throw out those old business cards and envelopes, folks! July 1st is almost here!

Gutless punk. Drop your bomb on the livelihood of 85 families at 4:59pm on a Friday so as to minimize press reaction. And its not like a lot of em won't end up being replaced with partisan hacks and Hitler youth brought in here straight from the right-wing think tanks.

"Since Brownback took office in January, there has also been a large number of terminations at the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, although many of those employees have been replaced with new hires. SRS has declined repeated requests to say how many have been laid off and how many have been hired."
This seems like an investigative report waiting to happen, complete with a FOIA request if needed. Surely the number of employees in a state dept. would be a matter of public record?

Of course since we no longer have an independent legislature in Kansas and no media outlets that will do investigative journalism any more, Brownback can do what ever political hackwork he wants with near total immunity.

Of course since we no longer have an independent legislature in Kansas and no media outlets that will do investigative journalism any more, Brownback can do what ever political hackwork he wants with near total immunity.

The public isn't supposed to know this, but the replacements were not necessarily Kansans. And interpretation of the regulations for hiring and firing is under the control of a gubernatorial appointee. And what's happened at SRS and KDOL is just the beginning.

As to why the media hasn't jumped on this, your guess is as good as mine. Scott Rothschild is the only reporter I've seen write about it anywhere in the state. (THREE CHEERS FOR SCOTT!!!)

Any evidence that they are? Most in civil service are lazy hangers on with no ambition and no reason to do anything but the bare minimum required to keep our tax dollars deposited in their bank accounts every other week. Go register your car or renew your license and see how motivated those people are to serve you quickly and efficiently.

SRS is a special case of power-corrupted lazy bureaucrats that would as soon wreck a home as put their feet on the floor in the morning. SRS employees are just about the worst civil servants around.

"When the Koch Bros. were getting logging roads paid for by the taxpayer, did you complain about feeding at the trough?"

I didn't know we had logging roads in lawrence or even in kansas so I'm going to assume you mean in some other state.

First, is it federal or state or local government building the road? If the road is not in Kansas or paid for with federal money, why do you care? That's other people's business, no yours. It isn't just a prop for your agenda.

I want to know the circumstance behind the payment. If the federal government owns the land or is buying the tress and as a condition of the sale of the trees, roads were to be paid for by the government as part of the payment to koch tree killers inc, then good for koch tree killers inc. If the government is in no way connected to the sale of the trees except as tax man yet still pays for the roads, then find everyone involved and put them in prison. There may be other legit reasons for the government building the roads. What might be a logging road today might be planned to be the next I70 through Colorado in 50 years. Any similar reason would exonerate both accused parties in your first example.

A. I own the forest.
B. My tax money is paying for the roads to haul out the timber.
C. Timber sales lose money for the taxpayer.
D. "Find everyone involved and put them in prison." George W. Bush lives in Texas. Need an address?

This 20% or 1 in 5 reduction in force for DoL makes sense. Synergies have been gained over the years through process improvement and computer automation of manual processes. There is no life time employment. The state can do just fine without them.

KDOT is fat and needs 40 - 50% reduction in the computer and tech services headcount. The state needs to consolidate their IT infrastructure into one organization.

The state has a major problem ahead with fixed cost in Prisons and Medicade. Education has made a small contribution (51% of the 2012 state budget) and the other organizations need to contribute more than 20% or education will be hit harder.

He created some high paying jobs in the Dept. of Commerce. And he created a new state logo, which, I'm sure, will bring more jobs to this state. Those business cards, web-pages, and envelopes aren't going to change themselves.

How about digging into the new hires at SRS? Compare their new salaries with those who they replaced? Betcha the new hires are costing the tax payers MORE than the people they replaced. The new hires all came from out of state.

Also, there is a tremendous knowledge vacuum at SRS with the middle management staff having been purged. Try looking at the idiotic decision to cut all contracts and grants by 3%. Many contracts and grants are 100% federally funded, so Kansans are turning federal dollars back to the feds. DUH! When questioned internally about this decision, one upper management new hire said, "There are 100% federally-funded contracts and grants?"

That is not the point zip.
These are people who were trying to earn a living and not drain the system. AND, it would be different if these jobs just disappear and actually save money. They will not. This is not just happening at SRS or DOL, it is all through the State. This administration has brought in more and more of their "friends" at very high salaries while laying off people.

The sad part is that only the laying off makes the news and makes it sound like they are saving money. They are not. Someone else suggested, and I think it would be a good idea, if some enterprising journalist (I know they are few) would actually do an in-depth study, including salary comparisions, for this Administration.

Oh, and where are all the jobs that were promised??? (Unless you are fundamental "Christian" or related to Koch.)

The headlines about this governor from now forward and until Brownbackward's term is over should read, "Republican Presidential hopeful Brown....". So long as the burden of the countries failing economy rests squarely on the shoulders of the middle class, all is well in this dictator governors kingdom of serfs. But then we can all take solace in knowing our golden parachute to a bright economic future, "the wetlands highway", finally got crammed down out throats. And the Christian Crusader marches on.

If the people who actually work in Topeka are to be believed, and I'm inclined to think they would have a better idea about the inside machinations going on, then the layoffs will actually cost more money. A no-bid contract was given to IT21 solutions for IT services at DOL. At least some of the SRS positions are being advertised as 3 year contract positions at $35-$55/hour. But I guess since they are "private" jobs at double the cost given to cronies, that's okay.
www.kdol.net

Brownback brought back from Washington D.C. the privatization of government which of course comes with CEO's ,Golden Parachutes and shareholders.

More neoconservative reckless spending of tax dollars is what Brownback brought back from Washington D.C. Privatization does not mean less tax dollar spending or no more tax dollar spending. It's more like taking Kansas tax dollars away from Kansans then giving Kansas tax dollars to private corporations.

There has never been hard evidence presented that this would in fact save taxpayers money. It's all an illusion offered up by corporate america.

The most famous source of fraud happens to be private corp america. Brownback of course will looking to these corporations for political campaign money. That is his only agenda as a neocon poltician.

Brownback did not bring with any special skills. Moving Kansas government to private USA corporations is neither new industry,new jobs nor new economic growth. It's more like taking Kansas tax dollars away from Kansans then giving Kansas tax dollars to private corporations.

More neoconservative reckless spending of tax dollars is what Brownback brought back from Washington D.C. Privatization does not mean less tax dollar spending or no more tax dollar spending. It's more like taking Kansas tax dollars away from Kansans then giving Kansas tax dollars to private corporations.

Where are these tax dollars going? Why isn't the press following this closely and keeping taxpayers advised?

"Decisions by the prior administration to utilize one-time funds for ongoing personnel and administrative costs and reduced funding from the federal government have contributed to the need for this decision.”

That says it all. "Prior (Democratic) administrration"......Yet another stab at destroying Obama, the opposing party, sensibility, need, and the realization that the incompetance of the CURRENT administration is doing nothing to affect the shortage of paying jobs in Kansas but preaching, praying and posturing in an imaginary religious fog for the fawning voters who elected this swine.

The article does need more investigation. It reads like the positions (or many of them) were either federal grant or stimulus funded positions and not SGF funded. Once the federal funds dried up the option was to find money to keep these employees, (which in this economy and state budget is difficult at best, other places would need cut) or dismiss them.
.
1. How mant positions fell into this category?
2. How many positions were classified service lay offs?
3. How many positions were unclassified service terminations?
4. Many of the SRS terminations recently were for no other reason than political patronage (happens with every new administration, nothing new, suprising or shocking there) How many of these positions fell into that category and will have political appointment replacements?

I will bet the people laid off are lower level employees. The funny thing about lay off is that the people laid off are actually the ones doing the real job and getting their hands dirty. They don't lay off those big earners whose salary is that of four employees laid off or more. Those big earners probably don’t do much for the organization but as golf buddies for the decision makers. Bad leadership solution to a problem is always to lay off poor low earners at the bottom, but they leave those ones whose salaries are really bigger cost for the organization. Again, they don't want to lose their golf buddy while the organization suffers financially.

This is consistent with republicans' principle of governing and management. If you are poor working class, you don't matter, but they forget that productivity and wealth is based on pyramid structure. Large number of low wage earners and real workers at the bottom are the ones holding and keeping one leader at the peak there. The leader's livelihood and success depend on those at the bottom. The eventually run the organization to the ground based on this impractical principle. Republican are hypocrites, they believe in taking from the poor and give them to the rich. They are ambidextrous; the use one have to stop the poor from getting any help or I may say, hand out but they take their other hand to take hand outs from the government or from wherever they can get it. They believe in freedom and prosperity, but what they meant is to do what ever they want without accountability, and proper with it at poor people expense.

What you selectively slice out of your quote is that this "drop" is due to the failure of Congress to continue funding assistance for the unemployed. Saying that the Republicans have no choice because the Republicans refused this particular choice is nonsense worthy of Sarah Palin.

In sum, GOP creates an economic crisis, good people lose their jobs through no fault of their own, and GOP refuses to help these people while standing in the way of every measure offered up to cure the problem.

From the same article "Manda couldn't say exactly how much money the department hopes to save through the layoffs.
"Until the entire process has run its course and things are finalized, we're not speculating on any exact figures," he said.
So they don't know or won't say how much they think they'll save. I guess they haven't finalized all the no-bid consultant contracts with their cronies yet.

"Any evidence that they are? Most in civil service are lazy hangers on with no ambition and no reason to do anything but the bare minimum required to keep our tax dollars deposited in their bank accounts every other week. Go register your car or renew your license and see how motivated those people are to serve you quickly and efficiently.

SRS is a special case of power-corrupted lazy bureaucrats that would as soon wreck a home as put their feet on the floor in the morning. SRS employees are just about the worst civil servants around."

Liberty275, your comments have no basis. Visit an SRS office sometime. They are incredibly busy, yet maintain courtesy to all even late in the day. The same is true with DOL. If there is a lazy state employee, there would be a counterpart in the private sector. Wouldn't it make more sense to assess the work that needs to be done?

I find a lot of lazy employees in my business dealings. Before I owned my own business I, first worked in a factory, a non union factory. About 10% of the employees did the least amount of work they could get away with and not get fired, leaving those with a work ethic to pick up the load. They were paid the same as I was. When the company closed doors, because the city wouldn't give it major tax breaks, so the founders grandson coudn't continue to use company funds to "advertise" on his race car, I went to work as a para in a school. What I saw there was everyone working and helping each other get the job done. There was cooperation and hard work all around, no matter what hoops the politicians put in front of them. I now run my business like that. I try and create a team atmosphere, and I don't keep all the profits for myself. I actually allow them to trickle down - a theory that would work, if there weren't so many greedy people out there.

I will state, however, that many of these people being removed from their employment did the same thing to a lot of past employees whose only crime was to question authority. Too, within this department of labor shakedown, I will bet money that the bulk of the jobs in question were known by the person sitting in them to be limited term jobs....meaning when the person took the job, they were told it was finite; probably had to be re-newed every year or every other year or some such. Too, some may very well have been unclassified.

Too, within the KDOL, the powers that be have blocked tha ability of DOL staff to access the web site http://www.kdol.net

It's really sorta darkly funny because, again, what did people expect when Brownback came into office? This stuff is almost better than Bedtime for Bonzo given Brownback's peculiar ways what with "C Street" and the way he rolls, period. Ever have occassion to interact with "his office" whilst he was a sitting U.S. Senator? I had....several. Most unctuous. Slime everywhere.....and yet the people of Kansas made him their U.S. Senator and then made him their governor. shrug

The fact Brownback's proxy wanted to make all jobs "unclassified" speaks for itself. Ok, she didn't get her way. Fine....there's always a backdoor for the hack to weasel their way into. Always. If not today....then tomorrow....

Oh I'm certain that the Department isn't a model of bureaucratic excellence, to be sure. But I wonder how much can be expected from a gov't agency that we all know was set up for failure from the beginning. You can't perpetually underfund people who have an incredibly difficult job, having to deal with some of the more sad cases we have. At least in the Bureau of Prisons they can just lock them in a cell and ignore them.

Unlike private enterprise, gov't has to take all comers. Gov't can't just refuse to serve certain citizens. Nor can gov't pursue a different 'market segment' because it doesn't like the clientele it has. And gov't, unlike private enterprise, has to do everything it does in the light of the public and justify its decisions to every gadfly and second-guesser who wants to show up to criticize.

If you don't believe in gov't then gov't will fail you 100% of the time.

What's ironic though is that virtually every hit show on TV involves people watching the workings of gov't employees ... cops, lawyers, judges, school teachers, medical investigators, postal carriers, U.S. marshalls, alien-seeking FBI agents, CIA spies, even wise-cracking city parks employees in Pawnee, Indiana. Shows about entrepreneurial masters of the universe foisting junk mortgages off on widows and marketing crap people don't need to children? Not so much. Listening to the wingnuts, you'd think Americans hated gov't workers like they hate sin. Turns out Americans are fascinated with gov't workers (and with sin) whatever the holier-than-thou hypocrites might tell you to the contrary.

Well, Jimo.....I pretty much concur with all you've written above. It isn't just the DOL, however: All the state of Kansas agenices have relied upon an overworked and understaffed workforce since before Civil Service was, essentially, killed by the brain trust in Topeka. People constantly howl about the social workers in SRS getting the shaft, but, in reality, the social work staff have it good when compared to the people who do the nuts and bolts of that operation: The people who pass the peas: Those who process and manage the applications for public assistance. Ole Jack Rickerson, once "head" of the Kansas Dept. of Administration referred to these vital workers within SRS as "...glorified data processors...". Staff at the KDOC have been getting the shaft for many years as well. It's funny how state workers don't stick together, failing to understand THEY could be next....but this is a Kansas....a Right to Get The Shaft state. shrug

I believe 150% in government and am in wanton contempt of the busy body "volunteer" syndrome. Government is the people and is set up to protect the people. Relying on "volunteers" is utter folly. But that is another issue because it too becomes most clouded.... ("Volunteers" at the Lawrence Senior Center get first pickings at the day old bread that is donated to the place as a "perk" for being a "volunteer" (staff get first pickings too) irrespective of the fact that "free bread" is intended for disenfranchised seniors. shrug

Perhaps Brownback's actions will compel the workers of the state of Kansas to fight back for their lost merit pay system (funny how teachers get raises and more perks every year and state workers lose benefits and pay every year....) and actually UNIONIZE. Were a UNION in place and doing what it is supposed to do, a lot of this nonsense could have been avoided. However, most state workers detest UNIONS as much as the Posse Commitatus types out West of 59. shrug I doubt anything will come of any of this, though. I'm too old and worn out to see any light at the end of tunnel. I'm just glad I got me mines. I do what I can do: I've written, faxed, emailed and phoned all these jugheads in Topeka who are the deciders. It don't do much good, either. You're dismissed as aberrant, peculiar, and a crack pot.

We're a dinky little state that asked to have a bible thumping, born again, Opus Dei Right Wing wealthy to the high hills galloot run the state. We're getting what we asked for, eh?